Esperance, WA

As a key activity centre for residents living in the south-east coast of Western Australia, Esperance houses a broad range of shops, boutiques and clothing outlets. Located 725km from Perth, the town's central shopping district is positioned along the coastline with the Esperance Boulevard Shopping Centre on Forrest Street and select boutiques along Dempster and Andrew Street.
According to Renee Raseta, salesperson at Vanity boutique, the major challenge facing independent retailers in the area is competition from neighbouring chain stores.
"The shopping mall has stores like Kmart, Just Jeans, Rockmans and Target which puts pressure on us because we stock more expensive clothing. At Kmart, for example, they have a promo which says you can buy an entire outfit for under $150. A lot of the time, this means that when the shopping mall is busy, the main shopping strip isn't."
Offering apparel and accessories from mid-range labels such as Monica, Martini, Cooper Street and Lily, Raseta says that Vanity's consumer base is comparatively smaller to that of major retailers.
"People usually come to us for special occasions like the races or the school dance, which is on once a year. It's a small town with lots of farmers and workers at the local port so they tend to spend less on clothing."
Wendy Vandersnoke, salesperson at Poppy Road boutique, says that the key to overcoming the problem is offering a variety of local and international labels and diversifying the price range for each.
"Most women who shop at our store are willing to pay more for high quality, upmarket clothing because they know they're getting value for money. For customers looking for a good discount, we also offer a 'reduced price' rack on items from previous seasons. These are usually priced around $30 to $40."
Sourcing collections from Andiamo, Visage, Master and Margarita, George, Simona and Veronika Maine, Vandersnoke says that Poppy Road commands a strong position in the local retail market.
"We offer a something different for locals and tourists. There's a place for Rockmans and there's a place for us. Also, there's a large farming community here and female farmers appreciate quality wool and fur products."
"We also make sure we have the latest season clothing. At the moment, our customers love capes, coats, cropped cardigans and wide leg trousers. That's what keeps them coming back to us."

Low down
Population: 13,329
Location: 725km south-east of Perth
Stores: Vanity, Poppy Road
Brands: Andiamo, Visage, Veronika Maine, Simona, Cooper Street, Lily, Monica, Thompson.